President Kennedy: My fellow Americans, people of the world, today we set forth on a journey into a New Era. One Age, the childhood of Mankind, is ending and another Age is about to begin.

The journey of which I speak is full of unknowable challenges, but I believe that all our yesterdays, all the struggles of the past, have uniquely prepared our generation to prevail.

Citizens of this Earth, we are not alone. God, in His infinite wisdom, has seen fit to populate His universe with other Beings, intelligent creatures such as ourselves.

How can I state this with such authority? In the year 1947 our military forces recovered from the dry New Mexico desert the remains of an aircraft of unknown origin. Science soon determined that this vehicle came from the far reaches of outer space. Since that time our Government has made contact with the creators of that spacecraft.

Though this news may sound fantastic - and indeed, terrifying - I ask that you not greet it with undue fear or pessimism. I assure you, as your President, that these Beings mean us no harm. Rather, they promise to help our Nation overcome the common enemies of all Mankind - tyranny, poverty, disease, war.

We have determined that they are not foes, but friends.

Together with them we can create a better world. I cannot tell you that there will be no stumbling or missteps on the road ahead.

But I believe that we have found the true destiny of the people of this Great Land: To lead the World into a glorious future.

In the coming days, weeks and months, you will learn more about these visitors, why they are here and why our Leaders have kept their presence a secret from you for so long.

I ask you to look to the future not with timidity but with courage. Because we can achieve in our time the ancient vision of Peace on Earth and prosperity for all Humankind.